First Minister visits flood hit North Wales

The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones has visited St Asaph in Denbighshire to see for himself the damage caused by the recent flooding and to thank the emergency services and volunteers involved in the ongoing rescue operation.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

He visited St Asaph Leisure Centre this afternoon (Weds 28th Nov) to meet families affected by the flooding and to thank the many volunteers who are supporting them through this difficult time.

The First Minister also had the opportunity to look at some of the flood damage in the surrounding area and met with the emergency services who are leading the response at the Silver Command centre.

The First Minister said:

"The pictures of the flooding we have seen across parts of North Wales over the past 24 hours have been truly shocking. I wanted to visit the area as soon as I could to see for myself the impact the floods have had, and to thank the emergency services and the volunteers for everything they have done.

"It is a very difficult time for those who have had to leave their homes and seen substantial damage to their properties and businesses - and my thoughts are very much with those who have been affected.

"The emergency services, the Environment Agency, the volunteers of the RNLI and the Red Cross, our Trunk Road Agents, local authorities and others have been working tirelessly to prepare for, and respond to, the appalling weather conditions we've seen over the last few days.

"My priority now is to ensure people across the affected areas are able to return to normality as soon as possible. We all know it can take many months for a property to dry out, longer for families to begin rebuilding their lives. That is why it is vital that insurance companies act promptly to support those householders who have been affected by the flooding and I urge them to consider how best they can do this."